Water roof tank



Nov. 18, 1930. J. F. PATTERSON WATER ROOF TANK Filed Oct. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 18, 1930. J. F. PATTERSON- WATER ROOF TANK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

Patented Nov. 18, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT orrlce JOHN FRANKLIN PATTERSON, vOIE WARREN, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE WAR-BEN CITY TANK & BOILEROOMPANY, OF WARREN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

. warm ROOF TANK- Application flled October 8, 1927. Serial No. 224,956.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby the top of an oil tank or other tank may bow upwardly to a predetermined extent, under an internal pressure, novel means being provided for opening a valve when the top of the tank has bowed up to a predetermined degree.

It is within theprovince of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to'which the invention appertains. 1

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafter described claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in top plan, a tank equipped with the device forming the subject matter of this application;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of- Figure 1, the top of the tank being in a normal position.

Figure 3 is a' detail enlarged from Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmental transverse section .on the line H of Figure 3;

Figure 5' is a sectional viewwith the top or loop of the tank bowedup to a maximum amount, .the valve being about to open.

The numeral 1 marks the wall of an oil tank, or other tank, within which is disposed a frame work 2, which may be channel members, as shown in Figure 4, the frame work 2 supporting, ordinarily, the roof 3 of the tank, the roof 3 having a rim 5 which is secured at 4 to the wall 1 of the tank,'the roof having an easy curve, as shown at 6, where the body of the roof joins the rim, the construction being such thatthe roof 3 may bow up, under internal pressure within the tank, from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 5, although Figure 5 ismore or less diagrammatic as to the actual position of theroof when it bows up. The

and

rim 5 of the roof 3, and the upper edge of the wall 1 of the tank, form a basin in which water often is placed, to avoid fire and for other purposes. The numeral 7 designates a flexible metal pipe located below the-roof 3 and supported at 8 on the roof, in brackets.

The inlet end of the pipe 7 is marked by the numeral 9, and extends upwardly through the roof 3, to regulate the depth of the water on the roof. The outlet end 10 of the flexible pipe 7 is extended through the side wall 1 of the tank and is down-turned, as shown in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings. Owing to the fact that the ipe'7 is flexible, the roof 3 of the tank may w u wardly under pres sure, without breaking t e pipe.

A two-part fulcrum bracket 11 is connected at its. upper end to the frame work- 2, the

lower end of the bracket 11 being laterally r and downwardly inclined, as shown at 12 in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawin The bracket 11'is sustained by an inclined race 14 secured to the bracket and to the frame work 12. A lever 15 extends between the constituent mem- 'bers of the bracket 11. The lever 15 is fulcrumed as shown at 16, intermediate its ends, on the bracket 11. A weight 17 is adjustably secured, as at 18, to the outer end of the lever 15. The inner end of the lever 15 is pivoted at 19 to a link 20, which, in its turn, is pivoted at 21 to a connection or stem 22, in the form of a rod, the connection 22 being slidable in a guide spider 23 secured'in a tubular member 24 attached to the roof 3 about an opening 25 in the roof. A platform 26 is secured to the *upper end of the tubular member 24, and the platform 26 has an opening 27 across which extends a plate 28 provided with a valve seat 29. A valve 30 cooperates with the seat 29, the valve being an upwardly closing valve. The valve 30 is threaded for held in adjusted position by means of a nut I 31, so that when the roof 3 has bowed up under pressure, to a predetermined point, the valve will open, if the roof bows be yond that point. As the roof 3 rises, the-link 20 moves into alinement with the connection or rod 22, and the lever 15 tilts on its fulcrum 16 until the lever strikes against the end of the part 12 of the bracket 11 at the place where the numeral 34 is ap lied in Figure 4 of the drawings. Therea er, the lever 15 will tiltno further, and as the roof 3 bows upwardly, carryin with it the seat 29, the seat will be opene with respect to the valve 30, and the pressure within the tank will escape through the seat 29 into the cap 32 and out through the perforated web 33. v The invention embodies, amon other com binations, a tank having a flexib e roof 3; a closure mechanism comprising as cooperating arts, a valve 30 and a valve seat 29; means or mounting one of said cooperating arts, for instance the seat 29, on the roo and means for mounting the other of said cooperating parts, for instance the valve 30, in such position that when the roof 3 flexes, one of said cooperating parts, for example, the seat 29, will be moved relatively to the otherof said cooperating parts, for example the valve 30, thereby to open the aforesaid closure piecliianism and bring about a venting of the Although the seat 29 is claimed as being carried by the roof 3, and the valve 30 by the stem 22, this is not to be construed as meanmg that I am not entitled to the use ofv an equivalent construction.

- ment longitudinall What is claimed is I 1. In a device of the class described, a tank having a flexible roof, a tubular member mounted on the roof, a valve seat carried by the tubular member, a spider mounted in the tubular member, a connecting rod slidable in the spider, a valve which closw against the under side of the seat, means for mounting the valve on the connectingrod for adjustof the connectin rod, a framework wit in the tank, a fu crum bracket mounted on'the frame work and havmg an inclined end, a lever pivotally mount:

.. ed intermediate its ends on the bracket, a link to move with the roof, awa. from the valve,

pivoted to one end of the lever and to the connecting rod, a wei ht adjustable along the'opposite end of the ever, means for holding the weight in ad'usted positions along the last-specified end 0 the lever, and the lastspeci fied .end of the lever being engageable with theinclined end of the fulcrum bracket after the lever has tilted a predetermined amount, therebyfto stop the movement ofthe lever-and the valve and to permit the seat when" the roof flexes be on apredetermined point, thus bringinga ut a venting of the tank through the seat.

2. In a storage device for oil and like substances capable of creating a gas pressure, a tank having an upwardly-flexible roof provided with a valve seat, a valve cooperating with the seat, continuously-acting mechanism carryingthe valve, and adjustably under the control of an operator, for holding the valve yieldably closed whilst the roof is bowed downwardly, and whilst the roof is bowing upwardl to a' predetermined point, said mechanism eing supported movably on the tank, inde endently of the roof, said mechanism em odying a member which is actuated by the engagement between the valve and the seat, asthe roof bows upwardly with the valve-in closed position, and means carried by' the tank, independently of the roof, and engagingsaid member to stop the movement of said mechanism after t e roof has bowed upwardly to said predetermined point,

whereby upon further upward bowing of.

the roof, the seat will be raised with respect to the valve and bring about a venting of the tank.

3. In a storage device for oil and like substances capable of creating a gas pressure, a tank having an upwardly-flexible'roof provided with. a valve seat, a valve cooperating with the seat, a substantially horizontal lever, means for fulcruming the lever intermediate its ends on the tank, independently of the roof, a weight adjustable longitudinally of one end of the lever, means for holding the weight in ad'usted positions longitudinally of said end 0 the lever, a stem on which the valve is'mounted, a link pivoted to the stem and to' the opposite end of the lever, and means sup orted by the tank, independently of the roo and engaging the lever, to stop the movement of the lever after the lever has been swung a predetermined amount by the engagement between-the valve and the seat (asthe roof bows upwardly with the valve in closed. position) thereby .to' brin about a venting of the tank, the weight being adjustable,as aforesaid, at the will of an operator, .and acting continuously to hold the valve yieldably closed whilst the roof is bowed 

